Colorado University Athletics
Top 20 Soccer Moments: No. 14
September 14, 2016 | Soccer
BOULDER – When CU left the Big-12 and entered the newly expanded Pac-12 in 2011, they stood at the base of a large mountain, facing some of the top teams in the country weekend after weekend. The climb wasn't as quick as the Buffs would have wanted, but in 2014 CU finally reached one of the Pac-12 summits, defeating a ranked Pac-12 opponent for the first time on Oct. 3, upsetting nationally ranked No. 23 USC Women of Troy 1-0 in Los Angeles.
The Buffs had entered the Pac-12 with a program that was rebuilding. The biggest change was at head coach, as now head coach Danny Sanchez replaced the previous coach Bill Hempen after the 2011 season and a 1-9-1 during CU's inaugural season in the Pac-12.
Coach Hempen did achieve the first Pac-12 conference win for the program during his final season, defeating California 1-0 on Oct. 21, 2011 in Berkeley. But it wasn't until the 2014 trip to Los Angeles that the Buffs finally topped a ranked school from the new conference.
Entering the 2014 season the Buffs had complied a 7-21-5 record in the Pac-12, but each season saw them improve that record little by little, including doubling their wins in conference from two in 2012 to four in 2013. So CU entered the 2014 season with optimism and a team chock full of upperclassmen ready to arrive on the Pac-12 scene.
CU dropped its first conference game of the 2014 season, losing at home to California 1-0, but that didn't deter the team from the goals they had set entering that season. So the Buffs took their show on the road, and entered Los Angeles with a sense of purpose. That purpose and determination would pay off big time for the Buffs.
Junior Madison Krauser showed USC how much the previous week's loss had affected the Buffs, by scoring the first and only goal of the game in the fifth minute. She received the ball on a counter-attack from junior goalkeeper Kate Scheele, chipping the ball into the net from 30 yards out. The Buffs then hunkered down and did what a lot of teams have found difficult to do in soccer, hold a one goal lead for the majority of a match. CU was able to pull this tough task off, with help from Scheele and her four saves plus the assist on the goal.
The win was a big one for the Buffs--it meant CU wasn't a program in rebuilding mode anymore and it was a launch pad for CU's first winning season in Pac-12 play, finishing 6-4-1 that season in the Pac-12 and earning their first NCAA Tournament berth since 2008.
The Top 20 Moments of Colorado soccer will be revealed throughout the season as 2016 marks the 20th Anniversary of the first year of the program. Two will be announced per week on Mondays and Wednesdays.
Top 20 Moments
1. ???
2. ???
3. ???
4. ???
5. ???
6. ???
7. ???
8. ???
9. ???
10. ???
11. ???
12. ???
13. ???
14. First win over a ranked Pac-12 opponent
15. Buffs knock off No. 5 Texas A&M for win over highest-ranked opponent
16. CU moves into Prentup Field, a home for Buffs soccer
17. Nikki Marshall's success with the USWNT
18. CU's first Big 12 Tournament win in 2002
19. First NCAA Tournament appearance in 2003
20. Colorado announces the addition of women's soccer as a varsity sport on Aug. 14, 1993
The Buffs had entered the Pac-12 with a program that was rebuilding. The biggest change was at head coach, as now head coach Danny Sanchez replaced the previous coach Bill Hempen after the 2011 season and a 1-9-1 during CU's inaugural season in the Pac-12.
Coach Hempen did achieve the first Pac-12 conference win for the program during his final season, defeating California 1-0 on Oct. 21, 2011 in Berkeley. But it wasn't until the 2014 trip to Los Angeles that the Buffs finally topped a ranked school from the new conference.
Entering the 2014 season the Buffs had complied a 7-21-5 record in the Pac-12, but each season saw them improve that record little by little, including doubling their wins in conference from two in 2012 to four in 2013. So CU entered the 2014 season with optimism and a team chock full of upperclassmen ready to arrive on the Pac-12 scene.
CU dropped its first conference game of the 2014 season, losing at home to California 1-0, but that didn't deter the team from the goals they had set entering that season. So the Buffs took their show on the road, and entered Los Angeles with a sense of purpose. That purpose and determination would pay off big time for the Buffs.
Junior Madison Krauser showed USC how much the previous week's loss had affected the Buffs, by scoring the first and only goal of the game in the fifth minute. She received the ball on a counter-attack from junior goalkeeper Kate Scheele, chipping the ball into the net from 30 yards out. The Buffs then hunkered down and did what a lot of teams have found difficult to do in soccer, hold a one goal lead for the majority of a match. CU was able to pull this tough task off, with help from Scheele and her four saves plus the assist on the goal.
The win was a big one for the Buffs--it meant CU wasn't a program in rebuilding mode anymore and it was a launch pad for CU's first winning season in Pac-12 play, finishing 6-4-1 that season in the Pac-12 and earning their first NCAA Tournament berth since 2008.
The Top 20 Moments of Colorado soccer will be revealed throughout the season as 2016 marks the 20th Anniversary of the first year of the program. Two will be announced per week on Mondays and Wednesdays.
Top 20 Moments
1. ???
2. ???
3. ???
4. ???
5. ???
6. ???
7. ???
8. ???
9. ???
10. ???
11. ???
12. ???
13. ???
14. First win over a ranked Pac-12 opponent
15. Buffs knock off No. 5 Texas A&M for win over highest-ranked opponent
16. CU moves into Prentup Field, a home for Buffs soccer
17. Nikki Marshall's success with the USWNT
18. CU's first Big 12 Tournament win in 2002
19. First NCAA Tournament appearance in 2003
20. Colorado announces the addition of women's soccer as a varsity sport on Aug. 14, 1993
Players Mentioned
F
/ Soccer
GK
/ SoccerSoccer: Colorado vs Kansas Highlights - Nov. 5, 2025
Thursday, November 06
Soccer: Postgame Press Conference vs UCF - Nov. 3, 2025
Tuesday, November 04
Soccer: Colorado vs UCF Highlights - Nov. 3, 2025
Tuesday, November 04
This Week in Colorado Soccer - The Big 12 Tournament
Sunday, November 02